


Mr. Mystery

by Haberdasher



Series: Elsewhere Falls [1]
Category: Elsewhere University (Webcomic), Gravity Falls
Genre: Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 22:06:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12241542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haberdasher/pseuds/Haberdasher
Summary: Another Elsewhere University meets Gravity Falls tale. The story of one Mister Mystery, as told by students and locals.





	Mr. Mystery

Everyone who went to Elsewhere University, and most of the locals in the little town surrounding the college, knew- or thought they knew- something about Mr. Mystery.

He was the gray-haired man who ran the Mystery Shack, a large, decrepit-looking building just on the other side of the highway from Elsewhere’s campus. The Shack held tours wherein various (supposedly) mysterious creatures or relics were put on display for tourists and the occasional bored local to gawk at. The Shack had a gift shop as well, filled with various kitschy knick-knacks, many accompanied by some half-assed explanation of how they were meant to bring good fortune or another such blessing to their owner.

(One of these items was pastel-colored glitter said to keep away the fairies. Every so often, a prospective buyer would comment something to the effect of, “But I haven’t seen any fairies!”, to which Mr. Mystery would always wink and reply, “That’s how you know it’s working.”)

Those who knew nothing about Them saw the Mystery Shack as a quaint little tourist trap that had an oddly endearing way of building upon the strange superstitions that were so common in the area.

Those who knew a little more dismissed the Mystery Shack as useless drivel, standing to teach one more about taxidermy than of the true magic to be found just on the far side of the road.

Those who were fully Involved knew that while all the exhibits in the Mystery Shack were obvious fakes, in its gift shop the careful eye could find pure iron bracelets engraved with the Shack’s name, mood rings with a thin silver lining on the edges, caramels salted heavily enough to keep away most human eaters and all the Others- all severely overpriced, of course, but when one was in need that store might well be a literal lifesaver.

As disparate as the views about the Mystery Shack were, the rumors surrounding its owner varied even further.

He- or someone whose face he wore- had started as a student, most accounts could agree on that much. And most also agreed that he’d gotten in over his head, dealt with the Gentry and suffered for it. But what exactly had led the man known as Mr. Mystery to build the Mystery Shack, to stay so close to campus but not residing upon its grounds, few could say.

Some said he was a changeling, the true owner of the body he used having been spirited away long ago- but he touched iron and salt during his sales without flinching, without it leaving so much as a single mark on his hands.

Some said he had made a bad bargain with the Fair Folk, traded away some of his fingers and got precious little in return- but whenever a skeptical student looked closely at Mr. Mystery’s hands, they both had five fingers, clear as day.

Some said that on moonlit nights, one might see him on campus, muttering to himself in a voice too low for any to overhear.

Some said that he could be found on campus during the new moon, and that on those darker nights his eyes would emit a slight glow against the midnight sky.

Some said that during these late-night sojourns he often grew violent, kicking rocks, punching buildings, even tearing apart trees with his bare hands.

Some said that he chose to use a false name not only because all Elsewhere students did so, but because he was wanted by the police under his true name, the Mystery Shack serving as a cover for more illicit business.

A few locals- the mail carrier, who claimed he was sworn to secrecy; the owner of a local diner; his employees, of which there were only two- claimed to know his Name, claimed that it was still used on letters sent to far-off places where the fabric between worlds was more stable.

(None of them knew that the name written on those letters was as false as the one he handed out to tourists every day.)

Nobody could say which, if any, of the many legends surrounding the Mystery Shack’s owner were true, and whenever a student tried to get Mr. Mystery talking about his past, he always made an awkward attempt to change the topic.

This went on for decades on end, with many wondering about the mystery that surrounded the Shack’s owner but none ever really expecting to find out the truth behind the legends.

Then came the summer that two of Mr. Mystery’s young relatives came to town, and soon enough, everything changed.


End file.
